


Better

by reconquer



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 11:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3288023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reconquer/pseuds/reconquer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s day three and Asami estimates that she’s gotten approximately a hundred and sixteen mosquito bites.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better

**Author's Note:**

> i saw a summer camp au and i was like yes, this is what i like, so i did my own. the camp's loosely based off a real camp in connecticut, just so yall know.  
> the camp units are:  
> water tribe, ages 6-8  
> air nation, ages 9-10  
> earth kingdom, ages 11-13  
> fire nation, ages 13-15  
> white lotus, ages 15-16
> 
> tw for light drug/alcohol use in this chapter. title is a song by TEEN

It’s day three and Asami estimates that she’s gotten approximately a hundred and sixteen mosquito bites.

She represses the urge to scratch one on her ankle as Lin marches up and down the dock opposite them, barking the instructions for the counselor swim test.  Asami’s been working Camp Qi long enough that she could probably recite the rules herself, but she’s also been working long enough to know that Lin can get…testy.

“Asami,” Opal whispers, nudging her bare thigh with her hand. “Do we really have to swim in this?”

“It’s not dirty or anything,” Asami whispers back. “Besides, if we don’t swim in it, why should we expect our kids to?” Opal twists her mouth into a grimace.

“I know. It’s just so…brown.”

“It’s just the color of the sand, trust me.”

“Ladies!” Lin shouts, stomping her foot on the wood. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to introduce this year’s head life guard.” Asami and Opal look away sheepishly.

A girl around Asami’s age jogs onto the dock to meet Lin. She’s dark skinned with even darker, short hair, most of it tied into a tiny ponytail but stubborn flyaways hang around her neck. Her bright blue eyes are startling against her brown skin. She’s not wearing a shirt over her sports bra and has the most solid six-pack Asami thinks she’s ever seen on a woman.

Asami is suddenly very hot and very keen to jump into the undoubtedly freezing lake.

“Hey!” The girl gives a small wave and pulls a whistle out of the waistband of her Soffe shorts, hand stopping to rest on her bare waist. “My name’s Korra and I’m new this summer. I’m also an Air Nation counselor, but I’ve been at waterfront training for most of this week so some of you might not know me yet.” Lin hands Korra her clipboard and starts walking back towards the beach.

“I have paperwork to do, so Korra’s going to be testing you all today. I’ll be in the waterfront office if anyone needs me,” she shouts with her back turned, already halfway off the pier.

“Okay, Water Tribe counselors are being tested first, so the rest of you can hang out for a bit,” Korra announces and begins to make her way to the testing area. Opal huffs and mutters, “See you later,” and shuffles after her with the other Water Tribe counselors. The rest of the counselors sit down, trying to avoid butt splinters and patches of slimy algae that grow along the edges of the dock.

“Yo, did you see the abs on that lady?” Bolin exclaims as he sits down next to her, dangling his feet into the water. Asami exhales through her nose and nods, not trusting her own voice.

Bolin continues prattling off and Mako eventually joins them, but Asami isn’t listening. She’s staring at the new lifeguard, her hips cocked and hands busy scribbling results on her clipboard, and she has a feeling that this is going to be one hell of a summer.

 

The night before move-in is Counselors Get Really Trashed in the Woods Night, which consequently leads to Counselors Pretend Not to be Hungover in Front of Parents Day the next morning. Only a handful of them are of age, and Asami’s the only one with a car, so getting the booze is up to her.

The younger counselors are huddled around her in the mess hall, telling Asami what they want and sliding her money, careful that the camp director Tenzin doesn’t see. Mako’s organizing as always, jotting everything down on a notepad and stuffing the money into an envelope, big bills in the back, ones in the front.

“Hey, you’re still down to drive me to pick up my stuff, right?” Bolin asks, leaning across the table in a poor attempt to be discreet.

“Sure, as long as you wait to open it till we’re back. I don’t want my car smelling like weed.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Oh, also, can we bring Korra? She hasn’t been into town yet and I want her to try Narook’s before the session starts.” Asami quirks an eyebrow. Act casual.

“Who, the new lifeguard with t-the abs?” She scowls internally. Real smooth, Sato.

“Is that what they’re calling me?” Korra sits down next to her with a bowl of mac ‘n cheese, apparently having shoved through the crowd to get there. Asami flushes and stutters out an apology but Korra just laughs. “It’s fine, I get it, they’re distracting.”

Asami isn’t sure she could blush harder and Mako’s giving her that Look.

“Of course you can come,” she mutters, shooing away the last of the counselors and gathering her dishes. “We should leave soon if you want noodles, though. Mako and I can get the booze while you guys do that.”  Korra nods and gives her a thumbs-up and a 1000-watt smile and Asami nearly trips over her own feet.

 

Bolin calls shotgun the millisecond Asami’s car is in sight, not that anyone was really going to fight him for it, but Asami kind of wishes someone had. Why Bolin feels the need to torture her with country music is beyond her, and why they even have so many country stations around here is even more of a mystery, but Bolin bats her hand away and announces, “Girlfriend seat gets control of the radio!” every time she tries to change the station.

Makapu is a small town a few hours outside of Republic City. Asami’s always thought it was charming, even though it’s a little run down and isolated by mountains and long country roads. It’s a nice break from the big city and has undeniable character.

She parks on a side street that’s roughly equidistant from both the liquor store and Narook’s—it’s not a big town, after all.

“Alright, wanna meet back here in an hour? Mako and I can go to the liquor store and—“

“Actually,” Mako interrupts, “Why don’t you bring Korra to Narook’s? Me and Bolin can pick everything up. We only need one valid ID to buy alcohol, and I’m twenty-one too, y’know.”

“That’s a great idea! You two could have a girl’s day!” Bolin exclaims. Korra nods along and Asami tries to ignore her stomach tying itself in knots.

“Great, meet back here at eight, then,” Mako says, then spins on his heel and walks towards the store. Bolin waves and follows his brother, leaving Korra and Asami alone.

“Right, so,” Asami says, motioning in the direction of Narook’s. “Noodles?”

 

It’s a Saturday, so Narook’s is decently crowded, but Asami and Korra are seated quickly. Korra scans the menu and eventually decides on seaweed noodles. Asami orders dumplings to go, because they’re perfect for hangovers and she knows she’s going to need them. Korra fiddles with her chopsticks once the waiter takes away their menus. She’s fidgety. Asami takes a mental note of that.

“So, are you from around here?” Asami asks, figuring it’s a good enough starting point.

“No,” Korra says, laughing a little. “I’m from Alaska.”

“Oh, wow. How’d you end up all the way on the East Coast, then?”

“I got a swimming scholarship at a good school in Republic City and Tenzin’s a friend of my dad. He offered me a job at his camp so I didn’t have to deal with moving all my shit into my dorm straight off the plane, and honestly, I could use the cash.” Asami laughs.

“Yeah, don’t we all.” She tries not to let any bitterness seep into her voice and she thinks she succeeds.

“So are you from here, then?” Korra asks, fingering the edge of her teacup.

“Well, I grew up in Republic City and I go to college there too, but I’ve been coming to camp here since I was a little girl, so I may as well have. Tenzin’s like family.” Korra gives her a little smile of understanding.

Their meal goes quickly and they walk back to the car, chatting along the way about their hobbies and school and Alaska. Asami learns that Korra’s from a small Inuit tribe near Anchorage, and that she was the best at kayaking in her village, and that the muggy northeastern heat is already starting to get to her. Asami tells her about how she likes cars, how one time she got on a city bus and ended up in a different borough, leading to a lifelong distrust of public transportation, and how she just bought a record player so she could play her mom’s old albums. The conversation is easy and Asami finds herself smiling and laughing more than she has in a while.

Mako and Bolin are already at the car by the time they get there. Bolin lets Korra sit in front and, thankfully, she leaves on the indie station Asami flipped to when they first got in.

Asami opens all the windows, letting the warm, humid air stream into the car, and they drive into the dusk in relative silence. The sun has set and the grass is dyed that early summer blue and some stars are already shining through the thick canopy of maple and pine trees. For the first time in a couple months, Asami feels okay about things.

 

The campfire is huge and Asami can’t stop staring at it. She’d taken a couple of hits from Bolin’s joint before she started drinking and she’s definitely feeling it now—she’s not sure just _how_ long she’s been leaning on Opal’s shoulder, but she’s pretty sure it’s been over ten minutes. Not that Opal’s moved. Maybe Opal’s asleep.

“Opal,” Asami mutters.

“What.”

“What are you staring at?”

“Bolin. What are _you_ staring at?”

“The fire.”

“No, you’re not. You’re staring at Korra.” Asami sits up at that and glances at her friend. “I know you, Asami. You have a crush.”

“I do not. I’ve known Korra for, like, three days.” Opal just waggles her eyebrows and slurs something about summer romance, then bursts into a fit of giggles.

Asami sees Bolin stalking over to their log and she stands up, deciding to leave the two of them alone. Whatever the two of them have, Asami knows she’s not in the state to see it right now. She wanders over to a tree a few feet away from the crowd of drunk counselors, content to sip her overly-sweet drink and watch their silhouettes against the fire.

“Hey,” says a voice from behind her. Asami turns her head to the right and sees Korra coming out from the thicker woods that separate the waterfront from the cabins.

“Hi,” Asami says. “What were you doing in the woods?”

“Oh, you know,” Korra shrugs. “Peeing. The usual.” Asami laughs and Korra runs her hand through her loose hair, obviously embarrassed.

“How are you liking the party?”

“It’s fun,” she answers. “It sort of reminds me of home. Not that we party at beaches often, but the bonfire part. I met, like, twenty people, but I can’t remember a single one of their names.”

“You’ll learn them,” Asami assures her. “You’ll be spending eight weeks with them, you’ll have to.” Korra laughs at that and touches her hair again. They maintain eye contact for a couple seconds too long; they’re both drunk and shy and kind of bashful. Korra smirks and raises her plastic Solo cup to Asami.

“To an awesome summer?”

“Yeah. I can drink to that.”

**Author's Note:**

> holla @ my thinly veiled references to real cities, namely new york city because let's be real, republic city is manhattan.


End file.
